Episodes

US airlines are releasing plans for the 737 MAX return to service, pilots are being advised to hold off participation in clinical vaccine trials, Southwest Airlines warns of its first-ever furlough, in-flight cell phone calls are off the table at the FCC, a final rule is announced for traveling by air with service animals, and the Paris Air Show is canceled for 2021. Aviation News US airlines detail plans for resuming Boeing 737 Max flights In the US, the 737 MAX is operated by American Airline...

In this special episode, we talk with former co-host Brian Coleman. He recently flew commercial from California to Florida and he tells us about his experiences at the airport, inflight, and at the hotel during a global pandemic. Mentioned TABfabric, specializing in vintage fabrics, notions, masks, and more.

We talk with an Air Traffic Controller at London Heathrow who also acts as deputy manager of the ATC team for the RIAT airshow. In the news, FAA airworthiness directive permits the Boeing 737 MAX to return to service, Delta and tariffs on Airbus aircraft, Gatwick slot usage and planned labor action at Heathrow, speed dating in the air, Norwegian Air Shuttle troubles, autonomous airplane tugs, and a F/A-18C Hornet goes into the National Air & Space Museum. Guest Adam Spink has been an air traffi...

Brett Snyder, the Cranky Flier, returns as our guest. In the news, United changes its MileagePlus frequent flyer requirements, Costco is selling private jet program memberships, Korean Air and Asiana merge, the outlook for business aviation, Covid testing at the airport, and an “immunity passport” proposal. Guest Brett Snyder, Cranky Flier. Brett Snyder is the president of Cranky Flier LLC. He’s passionate about airlines and has been since he was a child. Brett’s main activity is centered arou...

Airline pay cuts, prospective student pilots told to wait, proposed 737 MAX training requirements, the boat that Boeing sold, and a Brit is set to pilot Air Force One. Also, a holiday flying festival, the Kitty Hawk Flyers, an A-10 pilot receives the Distinguished Flying Cross, an upcoming electric air speed record attempt, and New Zealand’s first electric airplane. Aviation News Dutch Airline Pilots Association VNV signs commitment clause KLM pilots agreed to accept pay cuts that allow the gove...

The Director of Flight Operations for Quantum Spatial talks about International Standards for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO) certification and building a safety culture. Also, Boeing 737 MAX order deferrals, best practices for small flight department maintenance, masks and Covid-19, fighter jets in the Middle East, the next-generation U.S. fighter, and high tech plane floats. Guest Josey Billington, Director of Flight Operations for Quantum Spatial Josey Billington is the Director of Fli...

We talk with a co-founder of the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship which matches interns with aerospace companies. He’s also a former USAF combat pilot and an astronaut who flew on two Space Shuttle missions. In the news, EASA and the Boeing 737 MAX, the NTSB finds that alcohol caused a fatal accident, the U.S. Army plans to review its aviation fleet, expansion opportunities for budget airlines, and a dog evades capture at an airport for 12 hours. Guest Alvin Drew Jr. is the Department of Defense Lia...

The GAO issues aircraft cybersecurity recommendations, the Southwest pilot’s union balks at a pay cut, some think commercial aviation hasn’t seen the worst of it yet, Congress looks to establish the National Center for the Advancement of Aviation, Singapore Airlines has a new use for idled A380 aircraft, the Boom Supersonic XB-1 demonstrator rolls out, and an all-electric airplane racing league is announced. Aviation News Computers Aboard Airliners Vulnerable to Hacking, Watchdog Says On Oct 9, ...

Boeing decides to move 787 Dreamliner production to South Carolina, the FAA Administrator flies the 737 MAX, Germany halts its heavy-lift helicopter procurement, airlines offer Covid-19 testing to passengers, furloughs after the CARES Act expired, go-arounds and accidents, a fast electric airplane from Rolls-Royce, advanced preflight after maintenance, and Flightradar24 DDoS attack. Aviation News Report: Boeing to move all 787 Dreamliner production to S.C.; WA governor responds Boeing made thei...

We explore hypersonic flight and the research being conducted at the University of Texas at San Antonio. In the news, federal aid for the airlines suffering under the pandemic, treating aircraft interiors with anti-microbial spray, a secret Air Force fighter jet is revealed, and more on JSX and Orange County Airport. Guest Hypersonic researcher Dr. Chris Combs Christopher S. Combs, Ph.D. is the Dee Howard Endowed Assistant Professor in Aerodynamics at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTS...

We talk with Oshkosh Corporation about Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting, or ARFF. Oshkosh Corporation builds tough specialty trucks and access equipment, and Oshkosh Airport Products designs and produces ARFF and snow removal vehicles. The Striker ARFF from Oshkosh Corporation. Guests Jason Shively is the Director of Engineering at Oshkosh Corporation and Jack Bermingham is a Senior Product Manager. We talk about ARFF vehicles, specifically the Striker line that Oshkosh produces. These ARFF tr...

A 737 crew couldn’t properly hand fly the airplane after autopilot failures, and we discuss the Master Minimum Equipment List. Also, airline furloughs loom, unwanted Austrian Eurofighter Typhoons, Air Force efforts to produce more pilots, an engine shutdown due to rain, commercial flights to nowhere, too much PPE isn’t allowed on American Airlines, and an airport throws out an operator. Aviation News Experienced crew struggled with instrument flight after 737 lost autopilots The Lithuanian carr...

Some Boeing 787s are grounded due to structural problems, Rolls-Royce financials don’t look good, a positive TSA story, another virtual flight option, US DOE funding for electric aircraft technologies, Pipistrel to set electric aircraft world records, Elon Musk says 3-4 years for effective electric aircraft batteries, Spirit avoids layoffs, and $200 ticket change fees are dropped. Some co-hosts know how to make a podcast producer laugh… Aviation News Boeing yanks eight 787s from service over st...

A retired U.S. Air Force colonel tells the “leave no one behind” story of a pilot who ejected over the Gulf of Tonkin. In the news, Boeing could consolidate 787 assembly lines, ski jump launch trials for the F/A-18 Super Hornet, a live air-to-air missile is found at Lakeland Airport, a man is arrested after driving under a taxiing airplane, a virtual airline that can help with your air travel withdrawal, and AI bests a human F-16 pilot in simulated dogfights. Guest Eileen Bjorkman Eileen Bjor...

We look at the Boeing 737 MAX NPRM for return to service, Phillips 66 investment in sustainable aviation fuel, JetBlue carbon neutrality on domestic flights, this year’s Collier Trophy winner, American Airlines plans to eliminate some smaller destinations, and the F-16 fighter jet sale to Taiwan. Boeing 737 MAX NPRM Boeing 737 MAX AD NPRM Now Available for Early Public Review Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) for a Boeing 737 MAX airworthiness directive (AD) (PDF) The FAA proposes to super...

Latinas in aviation tell their stories, Pieter Johnson talks with Matt Bone from the Hawker Typhoon Preservation Group, and Steve Vischer and Grant McHerron bring us up to date on Virgin Australia and Tiger Airways in the Australia News Desk. Launchpad Marzari reports from The Airplane Restaurant in Colorado Springs where the centerpiece is a fully intact Boeing KC-97 tanker. Guests The new book Latinas in Aviation: Stories of passion, power, and breaking into the aviation industry tells the s...

Boom Supersonic and Virgin Galactic supersonic commercial aircraft eye Rolls-Royce engine technology, China’s AG600 large seaplane, United’s ERJ-145 regional jets to CommutAir, pilot re-examinations, Boeing’s quarterly loss and good 737 MAX news, airline passengers and booze, the growing stockpile of airline nuts, and Allegiant Air’s clever “work from Vegas” packages. Aviation News Boom, Rolls-Royce Partner On Supersonic Overture Boom Supersonic and Rolls-Royce announced they are exploring a Ro...

An aviation climate control proposal from the EPA, an update on airline furloughs, questions about fighter pilot’s flying experience, Airbus’ autonomous A350, Delta Airline’s fleet simplification, and the Garmin outage that lasted for days. Also, an Australia News Desk from the boys down under, a special discount code for our listeners, and advice on choosing a flight school. Aviation News US Says it Will Adopt Global Climate Standards for Aviation The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) pro...

A former A-10 pilot who flew combat missions during Operation Desert Storm tells us about the A-10 from a first-hand perspective. Also, Boeing 737 MAX cancellations, airline layoffs and furloughs, Emirates plan for the A380, an American Airlines and JetBlue partnership, a bizarre Icelandair plan, aviation museums are re-opening, the B-52 Chrome Dome mission, a drive-in airshow, and thoughts on Urban Air Mobility. Guest Buck Wyndham Buck Wyndham is an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University gradu...

Airlines face downward booking trends and very large furloughs, flight training in a time of social distancing, airlines struggle to enforce face-covering policies, airports are responding to the pandemic, Boeing issues draft pilot training document for the 737 MAX, and Spirit Airlines steps up to help a family in need. American Helicopter Museum & Education Center Aviation News United Airlines to lay off up to 36,000 U.S. employees in October as travel remains depressed United Airlines sent ...

Boeing 737 MAX certification flight tests, Airbus job eliminations, updated airline COVID-19 health safety protocol requirements, Aeromexico bankruptcy, NBAA convention cancellation, concept of operations for Urban Air Mobility, possible Ryanair 737 MAX buy, Austrian Airlines to operate rail service, 2018 uncontained engine failure report, geared turbofan engine replacements, and yellow warning cards at Alaska Airlines. Aviation News What’s Trending in Aerospace – July 5, 2020 Boeing and FAA c...

An air cargo pilot joins us to talk about Boeing freighters. Also, the American Airlines recovery plan that includes more growth than that of other mainline carriers, an Allied Pilots Association proposal where the government would buy middle seats to facilitate social distancing in flight, a Lufthansa bailout by the German government, an Italian ban on luggage in overhead bins, changing airline contracts of carriage, and the United States Air Force plan for some F-22 Raptors. Guest Miami Rick ...

United leverages its MileagePlus program to improve its balance sheet, one study says the Amazon Air fleet will grow to 200 aircraft, a British aircraft carrier takes a step towards operational capability next year, and Southwest Airlines wants you to provide a “customer health declaration” at check-in. Also, the Finland fighter competition, flight sim hardware from Thrustmaster, and how old is too old to get your pilot’s license? Aviation News Surprising Statistics About United MileagePlus Unit...

The president and CEO of Aerox Aviation Oxygen Systems explains the role of onboard aviation oxygen and gives us an update on the New England Air Museum and Patient Airlift Services. In the news, current industry troubles are having impacts on flight safety, a Twin Otter and an MV-22 Osprey meet on the tarmac, a lawsuit is filed over the October 2019 fatal crash of a Collings Foundation B-17G bomber, and a Senate bill might change Air Force plans to retire some legacy aircraft. Guest Scott E. As...